A device and a method for programming a handling apparatus are described in German Patent Application No. DE 10 2007 062 108 A1. In the conventional device and the conventional method it is provided that a handle movable by an operator be situated at the end of an arm of an industrial robot, the movement of the handle resulting in a corresponding movement of the arm of the industrial robot. It is further provided that an input device, e.g., keys, be situated on the handle. It is thereby possible, in order to program a certain path of motion of the robot arm, which is, for instance, required to join together component parts, to teach the path of motion, by the operator's guiding the robot arm manually, and, at certain positions, specifying a stopping point, via the input device, such as a control device. The controller of the industrial robot is thus able to learn and store the path of motion of the robot arm that was carried out manually by the operator. The conventional device also has a screen, via which the measured forces are able to be displayed.
Moreover, one may situate such a screen or monitor at a distance from the robot arm and from the operating unit. If different operating types or functions are to be called up or rather dialed up in the programming of the handling apparatus, it is necessary for the operator to remove at least one hand, but usually both hands from the arm of the industrial robot, in order to key in an appropriate new input, via an externally mounted keyboard, for instance, in an input menu. Such a procedure means an increased time expenditure during the learning of movement processes, and in addition, it involves the danger that the last-detected position of the arm of the industrial robot becomes affected or corrupted by the releasing of the arm by the operator.